Addressing the Challenges in the Construction Industry Using a Systems Thinking Approach; A Case Study in Ghana

Every construction project is exclusive and functions in a complex environs which needs its own sets of managerial procedures to complete the project in the predetermined duration, scope, cost, and quality desired. The construction process is viewed by many authors as a complex and risky business to undertake. Traditional project management view the construction process as linear, orderly and predictable which can be planned, organized, and managed top down like any other industry. The regular failures to finish construction projects timely and within estimated budgets assume thinking that the process may not be as orderly and predictable in the manner as perceived. The aim of this paper was to assess the possible application of systems thinking approach in the construction industry using causal loop diagram as an example. The application of systems thinking has the potential to alleviate several deficiencies that perhaps a more traditional project management approach has struggled to deal with. The result of the Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) model indicates that with systemic interventions of establishing funding source and reliable norms, chances of efficiency in the construction industry will increase from 42.6% to 67.6% high. It suggests a paradigm change from the traditional way of doing things by looking at a project from a holistic point of view.